TO: All International Representatives

FROM: Gina Loeffel, International Marketing Specialist

DATE: April 15, 2016

SUBJECT: Minimizing Risk Through Proper Axial Fan Selection Whitepaper
In an effort to further educate our Greenheck representatives and customers on
proper axial fan selection, Troy Goldschmidt, International Product Manager, has
published an Axial Fan Selection whitepaper on behalf of Greenheck. The whitepaper highlights the
following:

• relevant certifications for axial fans

• high-temperature certification and derating
• challenges of completing a “full-product” certification
• common pitfalls when selecting an axial fan
• Greenheck’s exceptional quality and expertise

The elements outlined in the paper are critical to ensuring our customers get the product and performance
that they can rely on, minimizing the risk of surprises occurring on the job site.

Customers sometimes, either intentionally or unintentionally, get misinformed by the competition by

providing products which are performance certified with AMCA, or high-temperature certified with UL or
CE. This paper assists in educating purchasers, consultants, and contractors on what to look for so
everyone competes on an even playing field and increases the chances of closing the sale.

This piece is scheduled to be featured in the March/April issue of ISHRAE (Indian Society of Heating,
Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers) Journal and an upcoming issue of Climate Control Middle
East.

For any questions or comments contact Troy Goldschmidt at: troy.goldschmidt@greenheck.com.

Good luck and good selling!


®
A technical bulletin for engineers, contractors and students in the air movement and control industry.
Minimizing Risk Through Proper Axial Fan Selection
Selecting an axial fan is easy, right? You only need to
know the performance point, sound requirements,
and size restrictions. The only thing left is to require
certifications in order to assure those criteria are met.
Unfortunately, it is not so easy.
Subtleties in the catalogs, certifications and
performance of axial fans, combined with a relatively
high number of corresponding certifications and
standards, make it easy to select the wrong fan or
incorrectly compare two performance points.
Improper fan selection and procurement leads to
increased cost and project delays due to higher
commissioning, expensive returns and inefficient
operation.
Read on to better understand the following:
• Relevant certifications
• High temperature certifications and derating
(EN12101-3 and UL)
• Challenges of completing a “full-product”
certification
• Common pitfalls.
Minimize your risk by understanding the importance
and challenges associated with proper certification and
fan selection.
Relevant Certifications
Air and Sound Certification — AMCA
The most important part of the fan is its air and
sound performance. Improper airflow or higher than
P.O. Box 410 • Schofield, WI 54476 • 715.359.6171 • Fax 715.355.2399
Fan Application
expected sound
levels can lead
to costly project
delays and must be
avoided whenever
possible. AMCA
offers solutions to
such problems by
offering the AMCA
Certified Ratings
Program (AMCA
CRP). AMCA Greenheck Axial Fan Model RA
CRP serves as
the global standard in air and sound performance
testing. A brief introduction of the axial fan related
AMCA certifications will be provided and additional
information can be found in the references below.
The AMCA CRP program has two sets of
documentation: publications and test standards.
Publications are high-level descriptions defining the
steps required for a product series to be certified. The
publications then reference specific test standards
which further define test procedures.
The two main publications for axial fans are:
• AMCA Publication 211, Fan Air Performance
• AMCA Publication 311, Fan Sound Performance.
The AMCA CRP test standards are shown under Test
Standards in this document. A specifying engineer
or consultant may choose to reference both the
publication and the test standard in order to increase
their confidence that the product is AMCA certified.
Copyright © 2016 Greenheck Fan Corp.
Greenheck Product Application Guide
Test Standards
• ANSI / AMCA Standard 210, Laboratory
Methods of Testing Fans for Certified
Aerodynamic Performance Rating
• ANSI / AMCA Standard 250, Laboratory
Methods of Testing Jet Tunnel Fans for
Performance
• ANSI / AMCA Standard 300, Reverberant Room
Method for Sound Testing of Fans
• ISO 5801, Industrial Fans — Performance Testing
Using Standardized Airways
• ANSI / AMCA Standard 320, Laboratory
Methods of Sound Testing of Fans using Sound
Intensity
• ANSI/AMCA Standard
205, Energy Efficiency
Classification for Fans
In order for a product to qualify
as an AMCA Certified Product
it must meet all of the following
criteria:
• Tested at AMCA Accredited
laboratory
• Tested to the appropriate
test standard
• Published catalog or electronic selection software
that is reviewed and approved by AMCA
• All certified models are listed at www.amca.org
with a reference to the certified catalog and/or
electronic selection software
• Periodic check test performed on schedule.
If any of the above criteria are not met, then the product
is not certified and should not bear the AMCA seal. An
uncertified product could lead to low performing air and
sound, and costly commissioning.
AMCA is a third-party, independent entity that
verifies air and sound performance and ensures that
all manufacturers use the same methods for collecting
the data. When comparing fan performance between
2 Fan Application
manufacturers, it is critical that you compare AMCA
data to AMCA data. If a manufacturer’s data is not
AMCA certified, it may not be independently verified.
High Temperature Certifications
Similar to the air and sound performance, the motor
make and origin selected for the high temperature
application should exactly match the tested
combination of fans and motors. A manufacturer
loses the certification and assurance that the fan will
perform if they use a motor from a different country
or different brand name.
Common certifications are the following:
• UL Power Ventilators for Smoke Control Systems:
572°F / 2 hours, 752°F / 2 hours
• EN12101-3 Specification for Powered Smoke and
Heat Exhaust Ventilators: 300°C for two hours,
400°C for two hours.
EN12101-3 is a European-based standard which
certifies ventilators to be used for smoke control
applications. It requires that the units be fully
immersed in the hot air as opposed to just the air
flow through the prop. In addition, the worst case
conditions must be tested along with all accessories.
The high temperature testing also must occur in the
proper mounting position or else the certification
is invalid. Matching the EN12101-3 requires being
tested by a third party company which is an official
notified body. The manufacturer can then display the
CE mark.
UL requires that one fan size be tested to qualify a
specific motor manufacturer. The test process, as well
as the motor size and power, is defined and chosen
by the manufacturer and subsequently confirmed by
the UL inspector. Any test temperature and duration
is selected by the manufacturer because UL does
not have a test standard. The time and temperature
is typically selected based on other standards or
codes such as NFPA and IBC. However, the time,
temperature, and test methodology can vary from
company to company and even across product lines
within the same company.
Greenheck Product Application Guide

In the case of both UL and EN12101-3, if the fan is Every performance point must be certified across all
installed or configured in a way that is different from of these construction combinations which typically
the way it was tested and certified, then it is no longer requires that a high number of fans be tested. AMCA
certified to work in the intended high temperature allows propellers to be tested with blades at various
environment. degree increments. That initial data can then be
used to interpolate the performance across the other
High Temperature – Derating Performance
points which have not been tested. Accessory losses
A high temperature rated fan is less efficient than a can also be subtracted from the AMCA certified data.
standard temperature fan. This is primarily because as However, only the base unit data is actually AMCA
the temperature of the fan increases, the blade and the certified and published because the fan performance
housing have different rates of thermal expansion. In will be maximized.
order to prevent the blades of the fan from touching
As an example, please refer to Greenheck’s RA product
the fan housing, the distance between the blades
line. This product has the entire product line certified
and fan housing (tip clearance) must be increased.
to bear the AMCA Air and Sound seal.
Depending on the performance point, the difference
in efficiency could result in 1-10% difference in power Figure 1 shows the breakdown of the RA model
consumption, and in some cases may also require a nomenclature and all the potential combinations. It
larger motor. is a significant cost to test the product across all the
various combinations, which is motivation for the
There is no standard method for derating the
manufacturers to be tempted to not validate the entire
high temperature performance to the standard fan
line.
performance. However, if you encounter a manufacturer
that has the same performance for the standard and high To further illustrate, Figure 2 shows an excerpt from
temperature fans, it is strongly suggested that you ask the the AMCA certified performance catalog showing
manufacturer why there are no performance degradations various pitch angles on a single fan size, hub, prop, and
published. motor speed combination. These catalogs are required
to be available on the AMCA website. In order for
Challenges of Completing A “Full-Product” the RA product line to be completely certified, over
Certification 1,000 tests (air and sound) were submitted to AMCA.
With advances in manufacturing processes of axial These tests accounted for all the data shown in the
fans, each product has a high degree of configuration Greenheck Model RA performance catalog, as well as
which makes certifying the product difficult, and in our Computer Aided Product Selection program,
making sure the product you are selecting is certified
equally difficult. Review the Model Number Code
certification documents to ensure the RA - 500 - 225 - 4 - 40-20 - 4
model being purchased matches the
model offered. RA - Round Axial
Motor Speed
The standard design components of Fan Size 2 - 2 Pole
an axial fan are: 315 630 900-500 Hub Diameter 4 - 4 Pole
355 630-325 1000-500 190 400 6 - 6 Pole
• Fan size diameter 400 630-375 1120-500 225 533 8 - 8 Pole
450 710 1120-630 275
• Hub diameter 500 710-325 1250-630 Blade Pitch
500-325 710-375 1400-630 (degrees)
• Number of blades 560 800 1600-630 Number of Blades
560-325 800-325 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12
• Pitch angle of blades. 560-375 800-375
Figure 1 - RA Fan Model Nomenclature

Fan Application 3
Greenheck Product Application Guide
RA-315-225-3 (2900 RPM)
Figure 2 - This excerpt from RA fan catalog performance
catalog shows certified data for the 315 mm diameter
fan with a 225 mm hub. The fan certified has three
blades and was tested at ten different blade angles.
CAPS. Each RA model was tested across ten different
blade angles that performed within close enough
performance of each other to guarantee the required
AMCA tolerance. This method of rating provides
a rigorous and thorough process to ensure that the
test data provided will match what manufacturers
actually produce for all fan sizes and construction
combinations.
To ensure you are getting a certified product, it is
vital to confirm that the construction details of the
fan selected match the certified product. This requires Regardless of the standard, it is important to minimize
confirming the fan diameter, blade size, hub size,
number of blades and the pitch angle. If a competitor products being purchased are properly certified..
does not submit the full product code, it is important
to request it and verify that model is certified.
4 Fan Application FA/
Common Pitfalls
Tested “In Accordance With”
Many manufacturers claim that a
product is tested “in accordance
with” a particular standard. The
standard could be AMCA, UL, EN
or any other standard, but “testing
in accordance with” does not mean
that the product is certified. For
example, when a manufacturer
requires the EN12101-3
certification, the testing must be
conducted by a “notified body”
that is a third party testing facility
who ensures the product works
in the desired environment. If
a manufacturer claims to have
EN12101-3 and they have not
employed the services of a notified
body or cannot direct the customer
to a notified body’s website,
then the product is not certified.
Without third party certification,
there is no assurance that the
products purchased will perform in
an emergency situation when the
customer needs it the most.
Similarly, a product could be tested to a particular
AMCA standard, but it may only be tested by
the manufacturer on uncertified equipment. The
manufacturer may then potentially test limited
product variations that are not representative of the
worst case conditions. AMCA may have not been
involved in the testing, nor in reviewing the data, yet
the manufacturer could still claim to be tested “in
accordance with” that particular standard.
risk and maximize safety by confirming that the
Greenheck Product Application Guide

AMCA Certified Ratings Seal Versus spherical). When comparing the sound levels of two
Member Logo fans review their respective method of testing and
confirm that the results are comparable. Similarly,
Another important point to note is the difference
make sure that when comparing sound on products,
between the AMCA certified ratings seal and the
the product is also AMCA Air and Sound Certified.
member logo. The member logo can be used on
marketing documentation that has no performance Conclusion
data in order to demonstrate that the company is The elements outlined in this paper are critical to
a member of the AMCA organization. It does not ensuring you get the product and performance that
indicate any certification for a particular product line. you can rely on. Understanding ways to properly
Sometimes companies may place the member logo select an axial fan and determining that it is certified
on documentation will minimize the risk of surprises occurring on the
with performance job site. This will prevent costly project delays due
data. This misleads to extended commissioning, product returns and
the audience to potential reorders from another supplier — saving
think that the time and money. In the case of smoke removal or other
product is AMCA safety applications it is vital to ensure the health and
certified. The safety of the building occupants. Specify, purchase
confusion that and install with confidence — correctly select
this misusage can certified products for your building projects.
cause is why it is a
violation of AMCA.
The AMCA ratings seal, on the Sources
other hand, is used to show that • AMCA Publication 11, Certified Ratings Program
a particular product is certified Operating Manual
to air and/or sound.
• www.amca.org/whitepapers
Catalog Comparison Tips —
• www.greenheck.com.in
Sound Comparisons
• www.greenheck.com
With axial fans in particular,
the sound data can be confusing. • www.amca.org
Manufacturers may choose to publish sound power
• www.asiaamca.org
or sound pressure. Sound power is easier to compare
because it is not affected by the environment or • www.amca.org/certified-listed/cpsearch.php
distance. Sound pressure, on the other hand, will give
different results depending on the environment. If
comparing sound pressure levels, make sure to pay
attention to the type of sound that is tested (inlet/
outlet/total sound) along with any distance references
of published dBA ratings. It is also important to be
aware of what type of sound information is published
and certified. The sound performance could be
listed as octave band sound power levels, A-weighted
sound power levels or sones (either hemispherical or

Fan Application FA/ 5

Greenheck Product Application Guide

6 Fan Application FA/